Maximise the Easter break … and embark on a tour of Belgium
Take four days off before or after the long Easter weekend and you can enjoy a leisurely 10-day break from the office. In early spring, Belgium comes into its own – cafe terraces become more appealing, gardens begin to bloom and chocolatiers create picture opportunities of colourful Easter window displays. Board P&O Ferries’ Hull to Zeebrugge ferry in the evening and you’ll be relaxing in one of Bruges’ canalside cafes by the morning. The overnight crossing departs daily and takes 12 hours, so you can get a proper night’s kip en route.
With more than a week for exploring, you’ll also have time to take in delightful, olde worlde Ghent. The Museum of Fine Arts is hosting a much-anticipated exhibition dedicated to Renaissance painter Jan van Eyck from 1 February until 30 April. And it’s the perfect time to visit Hallerbos forest, 12 miles south of Brussels. Here, bluebells create a floral carpet amid towering sequoias. Before heading home, grab some Easter treats from one of the country’s celebrated chocolatiers, such as family-run Spegelaere in Bruges.
Take four days of holiday before or after Easter weekend (10-13 April) to get 10 days off, including weekends.
Turn your Easter weekend into a fortnight’s holiday … and set off on an adventure in northern France
For a longer break, take four days of holiday before and after the Easter weekend. You’ll get a fortnight off (or 16 days in a row if you count weekends), and it will only eat up eight days of annual leave.
Forget Paris in the spring this year and head to the underrated city of Lille in northern France. It’s in the spotlight in 2020 as it celebrates being the world design capital. There’s an abundance of design-related exhibitions lined up and art lovers will get a thrill exploring the city’s numerous galleries, such as LaM with its renowned sculpture garden. From Lille, you’re a couple of hours’ drive from Reims and the rolling countryside of the Champagne region. Or head up into the mountains of Alsace where you’ll find German influences in the pretty timber-framed villages and local beer.
Start this trip by catching P&O Ferries’ Dover to Calais ferry; it takes an hour and a half and there are up to 23 crossings a day to choose from.
Take four days of holiday before and after Easter weekend (10-13 April) to get 16 days off, including weekends.
Embrace the spring bank holiday … and see a different side of the Netherlands
This year, the early May bank holiday has been moved to a Friday (8 May) to commemorate VE Day and 75 years since the end of the second world war. Take off the four days before and you’ll get a lovely nine-day uninterrupted stretch.
Explore an overlooked European city by heading to Rotterdam. P&O Ferries runs a daily, 12-hour overnight crossing from Hull that gets you into the Dutch city the next morning. Rotterdam had to be almost completely rebuilt after the second world war and has subsequently reinvented itself as a destination bristling with creativity and innovation. You could spend weeks here checking out the hip places to sip coffee and the alternative sights, such as the world’s first floating farm that opened in Merwehaven last summer. Also look out for free events across the city to coincide with Liberation Day on 5 May, which is a national holiday in the Netherlands. For extra points, extend your break into the following week when Rotterdam will be getting ready to host this year’s Eurovision song contest.
Take four days of holiday before the early May bank holiday (8 May) to get nine days off in a row, including weekends.
Roll those May bank holidays together … and take a summer road trip through Ireland
Got some annual leave that needs using up? (Apparently those people do exist!) Then take 10 days between the two May bank holidays and you’ll get a sweet 18 days off in a row. That’s an excellent amount of time to do justice to a road trip around Ireland. P&O Ferries’ Cairnryan to Larne route takes you from south-west Scotland to Northern Ireland in a speedy two hours. There are up to seven crossings a day, so you’ll have heaps of flexibility about when you travel.
Arriving at Larne, which is just 20 miles from Belfast, you’re well placed to check out the new Game of Thrones tour at Linen Mill Studios (opening in spring). And don’t forget to include Galway in your itinerary – the west coast town is the European capital of culture for 2020. Events in May include a new artwork from David Best, who’s known for his blazing installations at Burning Man.
Take 10 days of holiday between the two May bank holidays (8 and 25 May) to get a continuous 18 days off, including weekends.
Make the most of the final long weekend of the summer … with a week discovering Dublin and its surroundings
Plan a holiday in the first week of September and you’ll only need to take four days of annual leave for a full week’s break, as it will include the last summer bank holiday of the year on 31 August. If you live in the Midlands or the north of England, make the most of P&O Ferries’ service from Liverpool for a late summer trip to Dublin. The crossing time is eight and a half hours, there are up to six a day, and you can opt for a daytime or overnight journey. Meals are also included in the price of your ticket.
Ireland is known for its festivals, and at the beginning of September, Dublin Fringe clicks into gear. The 16-day event takes over the streets with performances aimed at pushing boundaries and generally making you go: “Eh, what was that?” (but in a good way). The city is also an excellent base for day trips, especially if you’re in need of a nature fix before autumn arrives. The moody landscape of the Wicklow mountains will charm any hillwalker, while coastal towns such as Howth offer up clifftop views and seafood pub lunches.
Take four days of holiday after the summer bank holiday (31 August) to get nine days off in a row, including weekends.
Memorable holidays start with P&O Ferries. Book your next trip at poferries.com
